“Well, yes, we are a married couple!”

I tried to brush off my embarrassment with a laugh, but my tone was awkward. There was no hiding my flushed face. I absentmindedly pondered what Kien had said and asked again.

“So, contact strengthens the spell? Is there any basis for that?”

“It’s just something that’s always been passed down, so I don’t know about any evidence. However, it’s not hard to infer. You can’t move a large boulder with just one finger, but if you push with your whole body, it will move. The idea is that the surface area and the amount of force are proportional.”

I had never heard this logic before, despite having studied at the academy and read countless books. Yet, it sounded quite plausible, and I was instantly captivated by her explanation. If this principle applied not only to spells but also to magic power… it was worth investigating.

I was so excited that I forgot all about the embarrassment I had felt just moments before.

“Leopold. I’ll be tending to the tribe members, so finish your conversation with the chieftain. See you later!”

Without waiting for Leopold’s response, I left the room. A guard followed me out, leading me back to the guest room and promising to bring the injured people over before disappearing.

Kien’s words contradicted what I had learned at the academy. Healers’ principles were to avoid contact as much as possible due to concerns about infection.

While trying to calm my excitement, the tribe members began to enter one by one. Most people had no injuries other than minor scrapes. It was fortunate that there were no serious cases, but I felt a bit disappointed not to encounter more diverse cases.

Regardless, to verify what I had heard from Kien, I selected two individuals with similar injuries. One was a young man, and the other was a girl about Roscoe’s age, both with long scratches on the insides of their arms.

I instructed them to place their arms neatly on the table and placed my hands on their wounds. On the young man’s arm, I barely touched the wound with my fingertips, while on the girl’s arm, I covered the entire wound with my palm. Then, I channeled my magic power into them simultaneously and immediately withdrew my hands. Soon, an unexpected change appeared.

A blue light lingered on the young man’s wound, with the magic power slowly spreading like paint on paper. However, the girl’s arm showed an entirely different result. As soon as I removed my hand, the wound closed as if it had never existed.

Moreover, the scar-like remnants of the injury on the young man’s arm were absent on the girl. While the young man’s wound would eventually heal completely over time, the difference in recovery speed was astonishing.

Seeing such a significant improvement in treatment effectiveness from such a simple difference made me chuckle. It was puzzling why no one had discovered this method throughout the long history of magical healing. I wondered how amazed my mentor would be upon learning this.

Convinced, I proceeded with all treatments by fully spreading my hands and making as much contact as possible with the patients. The results were remarkable. It finally felt like I was using my power properly.

After treating all the injured, I anxiously awaited Leopold’s return. Finally, it was time to test his sense of taste.

***

Negotiations seemed difficult to settle, dragging on until late. The day quickly turned to evening, and it seemed we would have to stay another night on this icy land.

While waiting for him, tribe members visited one by one, bringing food, pillows, blankets, and other comforts. All were patients I had treated. Even though there were no serious injuries, it seemed they found the formal healing process fascinating and beneficial.

After snacking on a few pieces of bread, I suddenly noticed there was only one bed.

I had to lay out the bedding, but…

Honestly, I still felt awkward about touching him, and the thought of sharing that bed made my whole body tense. I worried I might spend the night wide awake, too nervous to sleep.

Once we returned to the manor, I would have to share a bed with him often to complete the spell, and I already felt overwhelmed at the thought.

Holding just one pillow, I found myself stuck in indecision.

“Sigh.”

“Why the sigh?”

“Eek!”

Startled, I let out a small scream and dropped the pillow. Leopold approached me, speaking in a voice tinged with laughter.

“Sorry for scaring you. But what were you thinking about that you didn’t even notice someone coming…?”

His gaze followed mine to the floor, and he trailed off.

It was just a pillow, but for some reason, I felt an urge to hide it.

“Since it’s already so late, I think we should just stay here for the night. The tribe members gave us these to keep warm…”

I picked up the pillow, dusted it off, and placed it on the bed, trying to appear casual. However, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was making excuses.

“More importantly, try this. The bread is a bit hard, but it’s edible. And these mashed potatoes are so salty that it’s almost a blessing you haven’t regained your sense of taste yet.”

I rambled on, worried that silence would make things awkward.

Leopold leaned against the table with his arms crossed, watching me quietly. Then he smirked slightly, as if encouraging me to continue. Mischief was evident on his face.

Eventually, I gave in with a sigh.

“Stop looking at me like that.”

“No.”

“No?”

His answer was so shameless it left me speechless.

Was he always this playful? Where had the mature and composed Leopold I knew gone?

“But alright. I won’t tease you.”

Fortunately, he quickly sensed my discomfort and knew how to handle it. Yet, the playful smile lingered on his face.

Strangely, I didn’t dislike this side of him. In fact, I found it rather charming. Leopold was usually quite stern.

Even when he showed kindness, there was always a cautious distance. But now, even that seemed to have disappeared. It felt like we were taking a step towards being a ‘real couple.’

As I reached that thought, I became embarrassed and changed the subject.

“So why were you so late?”

Instead of answering, Leopold hugged me. I froze for a moment but then extended my arms to pat him gently.

“The terms were hard to negotiate. It’s a small village, but as leaders, they were determined not to incur any losses. It was tricky.”

His voice clearly showed his fatigue.

“Did it end well?”

“Yes. We agreed to give them winter supplies, and in return, they’ll process the hides from their hunts for us. Upon closer inspection, the quality was excellent, something even high-ranking nobles would covet.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Indeed. Negotiating the quantities was tough, but ultimately, you deserve the most credit.”

I was taken aback by the sudden compliment. I couldn’t see where I had contributed.

“Me? Why?”

Curious, I asked, and Leopold leaned back slightly, meeting my eyes as he replied.

“You treated the chieftain’s daughter. The chieftain joked that if it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t have bothered with such tiresome matters.”

“So he wouldn’t have even come to the negotiating table.”

“Exactly. And they wouldn’t have agreed to process the hides for trade, which they said would take nearly half a year of effort.”

Certainly, living in the harsh cold of the icy lands, additional labor wouldn’t be easy for them.

“I hope you compensated them well. So, they’ll repair everything that’s broken or damaged, right?”

“Of course.”

Leopold nodded and turned his attention to the food. After talking for so long, he must have been hungry.

“So… I just eat that?”

“Yes. But before that, there’s something we need to do.”

His gaze shifted back to me from the table.

“I think I found a way to restore your sense of taste.”

“Already?”

He seemed genuinely surprised as he released me from his embrace and took a step back. Filled with excitement at the prospect of restoring his taste, I explained eagerly.

“I found a clue after listening to the shaman’s advice. Until now, I barely touched you while treating you. Naturally, I never thought of touching your tongue.”

“And?”

“With direct contact, I can exert my magic more powerfully. I’ve already confirmed it with the villagers, and now it’s your turn for treatment.”

He narrowed his eyes, perhaps still skeptical.

“How do you plan to do it?”

“Well…”

I hesitated for a moment. Even to another healer, this method might seem bizarre, let alone to an ordinary person. But I had to do it, especially if it was the only way to restore his sense of taste.

I cleared my throat and steeled my resolve.

“It might be a bit uncomfortable, but if you open your mouth, I’ll place my hand inside and channel my magic. I’ll make sure to wash thoroughly, so don’t worry.”

“Are you serious?”

“I’m serious.”

I couldn’t read his expression, whether he was shocked or confused. After a brief silence, he slowly spoke.

“Do you really have to use your hand?”

“What else would I use?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected question, I asked him back, feeling like a fool. Then Leopold, with a seemingly innocent smile, answered without hesitation.

“How about using your tongue?”

Honestly, it was a method I had never even considered.